Vending machines store and sell products without the need for a salesperson to complete a sales transaction. Some vending machines include a display window through which products available for purchase are visible by customers. In operation, a purchaser identifies a selection input such as a selection button or product number corresponding to a desired product, for example, by looking through the display window. After identifying the desired product, the purchaser tenders payment to the vending machine and provides a selection input to operate the machine. Upon tender of full payment and selection of the product via the selection input, the vending machine deposits the selected product into a vending tray by one of various mechanical means for vending the product.
Generally, it is desirable to engineer vending machines so that any purchaser may easily use the machine to make a product purchase. For example, it is desirable to engineer vending machines for use by both children and adults. The design of vending machines may further include considerations based on the needs of those having disabilities such as hearing or visual impairments. Particularly, vending machines should be designed to accommodate persons that are visually impaired, because it may be especially difficult to use the machine without the ability to see the products available for purchase or read the provided instructions.
In the context of vending machine design, it would be desirable if a vending machine were designed especially to account for assisting those persons with a disability. Particularly, it would be desirable for a vending machine to include design characteristics that aid persons with disabilities to make purchases of products available for vending.